Within a couple of seconds of leaving the ruins in Equestria, Chase and the girls appeared in the dark throne room in his dark world. The girls looked around and shook a bit at the cold wind of the forboding room.
"You sure we're in your world?" Pinkie asked, looking around the dark room, "It looks like the castle at Canterlot, only darker."
"I'm sure." Chase said, his eyes seeming to glow in the room, "Nightmare Moon told me many times that she modeled this castle after the one in Canterlot, and from what i saw from Ponyville she was right."
Chase looked around and looked out the window at the night sky. Upon returning to his world, the familiar feeling of sorrow and pain flooded his form and he really tried hard to resist running back to Equestria, to the warmth of Celestia's sun and the feeling of happiness. Chase's eyes started to water at the eternal night before him and he wiped his eyes before turning to the girls.
"Alright girls," Chase started, "Now all we need to do is....."
"Do what exactly, Chase." came the evil, familiar voice from the darkness, causing the seven of them to freeze on the spot.
They all turned in the direction of the of the voice and saw Nightmare Moon sitting on her throne, glaring down at the seven ponies with hatred. She scanned over all seven of the ponies, first her student and then the girls. With a click of her hoof guards sprang from the shadows and surrounded the group, pointing their spears at them. Rainbow Dash tried to break through them but was intercepted by Thunderhoof and knocked to the ground. Chase snarled at him just as the other Dark Bolts seemed to appear out of nowhere grinning at them.
"W-what," Chase stuttered, staring up at Nightmare Moon in disbelief who just stared back at him smiling, "H-how did you know?"
She stared down at him in silence for ten minutes before she started to laugh maniacally which turned Chase blood to ice. The dark counterpart of Luna stood from her throne and strode to the helpless group.
"Did you think I have not been aware of your plan from the start." She said with an obvious malice, "I've had Nightshade spy on you since you transported to that pitiful world watching your every movement and had him wake me before you came back."
Upon hearing his name, a blue unicorn appeared next to NIghtmare Moon with a sinister sneer. Chase stared at Nightshade in horror and his body started to shake. Nightmare Moon laughed, which shook the windows, before looking at the guards.
"Take the Elements of Harmony from the mares and lock them up, then lock their bearers in the dungeon." Nightmare Moon said with a sneer.
"What about him your majesty?" StarStreak pointed to Chase.
Nightmare Moon looked at her 'student', who glared back at her with a mixture of anger and fear.
"Leave him here," She said narrowing her eyes, "I'll deal with him myself."
With a bow the guards forced the Elements of Harmony from Twilight and the others and locked them in a box before forcing them out of the room. With a thud from the doors as they shut, Nightmare Moon and Chase were left alone in the dark throne room glaring at each other. Chase didn't dare to move for fear of being killed on the spot, not that it mattered now. For twenty or so minutes they stood staring at each other before Nightmare Moon spoke to her former student in a tone of anger.
"I am dissapointed in you Chase," She approached him slowly, causing him to back up, "You were doing so well as my student, so well, but I guess I have myself to blame for telling you that story of my defeat."
She kept walking towards Chase and he kept backing up until he was backed into the wall. Nightmare Moon's face came within five inches of Chase's and he once again felt her dark aura swarm him as she stared into his eyes. He was unsure of what she was going to do to him until he felt the familiar sensation of Nightmare Moon's magic surrounding him. Nightmare Moon flung him across the room and he crashed into a pillar at the back of the room, on the far left of the throne. Pain shot through his spine as he collapsed to the floor. He tried to stand but was once again shot against the wall and his vison momentarily turned black. His vision returned just as he was dragged towards the dark queen and he found himself levitating before her, her eyes staring into his soul. His eyes widened as he felt her magic start to strangle him, causing him to struggle in veign as the breath was prevented from entering or leaving his lungs.
As he was on the verge of blacking out, he felt his throat released and a flood of fresh air filled his burning lungs with a cough. Nightmare Moon kept her magical grip on him as she strode to her dark throne. She asceanded the steps leading to the black seat and upon asceanding the final step sat on the throne, levitating Chase in front of her.
"S-So what are you going to do to me, Nightmare Moon?" Chase said, dropping all formalities with the evil mare.
"Killing you would be too much of a luxury for your crime," the Mare in the Moon said, giving it some thought, "Instead I am going to lock you in the dungeons with the element beares and let all seven of you rot for the rest of eternity."
She stomped her hoof again and two guards Chase was very familiar with, Razor and Shadow, entered levitating shackles for his rear legs, his forelegs, and his wings and a ring for his horn. Chase was suddenly dropped and crashed to the floor in a dark blue heap. He stood up only to have his legs shackled and Shadow pushed him towards the doors. Chase glared back at the Dark queen.
"This Isn't Over, Nightmare!" Chased yelled back at her before the doors closed.
Chase looked down and tears started to sting his eyes as he was 'escorted' to the dungeons by Razor and Shadow. He tried to spread his wings but they had shackled those to his body and they had put a special metal ring on his horn, that he had magically charged himself, that nullified his magic and prevented him from using any of it. They came to a familiar corridor and walked down the steps that led to the oh so familiar dungeons he had hoped to avoid.They walked down the cobblestone corridor until they stopped in front of a large, barred cell. Chase looked inside and saw the girls beaten and bruised, a heartbreaking sight for him. Twilight and Rarity had the same nullification ring around their horns. Both Rainbow Dash and poor Fluttershy had their wings shackled to their bodies which looked uncomfortable for them. Chase couldn't believe what had happend to these six sweet mares and was furious at Nightmare Moon. Razor removed the shackles from his legs.
"Get in there traitor!" Shadow grunted, shoving him into the cell with his left forehoof.
Chase stumbled in and fell onto the floor making the binds on his wings dig into his sides. He shakily stood up as the cell door slammed shut and the laughing of the two guards could be heard as they walked away. He stood there staring out the bars for several minutes before turning to the girls, tears in their eyes from the bruises. He walked to them and they all looked up at him as he sat two feet from them. He looked over each of his friends and resisted the urge to hurl.
"I am so sorry girls," Chase said, tears staring to pool in his eyes, "I didn't know that she had a spy on my tail."
He started to sob and he collapsed on the floor. The girls looked towards the crying form that was Chase and couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Chase didn't notice anything as he sobbed until he felt a hoof gently touch his shoulder. He looked up and saw Rarity looking at him with a smile.
"We don't blame you darling," She said, patting his shoulder.
"Rarity's right sugarcube," Applejack said, "None of us could've known that she was waitin' for us."
Chase looked at the others, who nodded their heads in agreement with what Applejack said. He couldn't help but smile softly at them before getting up. The girls all approached and hugged him. The feeling of despair and terror faded into non-existence and was replaced by the feeling of warmth and joy that intensified his resolve to destroy Nightmare Moon.
"Thanks girls," He said, smiling at them all before becoming serious, "Now we need to get out of here."
"How? If you didn't notice Chase, Fluttershy and I can't use our wings, Rarity and Twilight can't use their magic, and you can't use either." Rainbow Dash said looking around the cell. "All because of these shackles."
Chase grinned and started to laugh.
"I'm well aware of that," Chase said, still laughing, "But what you don't know is that the special bounds that are used to nullify the magic of the unicorn it's put on are magically charged by My magic."
"So what does that mean exactly?" Pinkie asked.
"It means he can turn the bands off even if he's wearing one." Twilight said, her eyes lighting with hope.
Chase nodded his head and his horn produced it's usual emerald glow. With a snap the metal rings on his, Twilight's, and Rarity's horns snapped and fell to the floor. He received smiles from the unicorns before helping Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash out of their bounds and taking his off. He and the pegasi spread their wings and reveled in their freedom.
"Now we need to do something about Razor and Shadow cause i know for a fact that they're going to be guarding the door out of the dungeons."
"But how?" Fluttershy asked.
"Allow me." Rarity said, flicking her mane.
With a confused look on the other six ponies faces, Rarity started to whine like she was in pain. Chase thought that this was never gonna work and he believed it wouldn't until he heard the faint sound of the dungeon entrance door opening and the sounds of hooves approaching their cell. Rainbow Dash and Chase looked at each other and positioned themselves on either side of the cell door. The door opened and both guards entered with irritated looks.
"Why are you...." Razor started before he and Shadow felt two hooves slam into the back of their heads knocking them unconscious.
Chase walked over the unconscious guards, kicking Razor on the way, and walked over to Rarity, who was bowing at her own performance. All the girls, and Chase, clapped their hooves.
"Thank you thank you." Rarity said.
"I can't believe it worked." Chase said, rubbing the back of his head, "I didn't think it would, but you pulled it off Rarity thank you."
She blushed and said your welcome. Chase levitated the keys from the Shadow and motioned for the girls to follow him. They exited the cell, closed and locked Razor and Shadow in it, a grin on Chase's face. They ran down the corridor to the door and exited it, closing it behind them as to not arouse suspicion. They climbed up the steps and approached the door. Chase stopped in front of the door and turned to his friends.
"Before we go any further, I need to do something first." Chase said to the six mares.
"And what do you need to do Chase." Twilight asked.
"There are many guards, and when i mean many i mean Many," Chase said, a stern and serious tone in his voice, "So in order to get by them I'm going to have to cast a spell that'll make us invisble to their eyes. Now i know what your going to say, 'what about the guards who are unicorns' well in my time studying with Nightmare Moon she has taught me alot and all my illusion spells she let me cast on or against her guards. So i know that even her unicorn guards will not be able to see or detect us."
His horn once again cast it's glow and the glow enveloped them. It faded and each of them were covered in an emerald aura. With a check behind the door, they exited the dungeon and walked down the hallway. They came to a corner and heard voices around it. Chase peeked and saw Dusk Glider and Acid Rain chatting amongst themselves. Taking this as an opportunity to see if the spell works, he carelessly strode around the corner and into the sight of both Dark Bolts. The girls observed Chase and were nervous that he would be spotted, but to their suprise they just continued with their conversation.
They rushed past Dusk and Acid and stopped around the next corridor.
"It actually works!" Twilight exclaimed, bouncing up and down happy with the results of the spell.
"Told you Twilight." Chase said with pride in his voice.
"But where are we gonna find the Elements of Harmony?" Applejack asked, looking around in a panic.
Chase thought for a bit. His eyes widened as he thought of where Nightmare Moon may have hidden them.
"I think I may know but i hope to god i'm wrong." Chase said before running off.
The girls followed him as he headed for the one room that he had been to many times but has never entered, Nightmare Moon's private Chambers. He stopped in front of two large doors, both decorated with the symbol of Nightmare Moon, a full moon with a indigo sky and two black wings protruding from the moon, and he stared up at t "Is this...?" Fluttershy asked and Chase nodded.
"This is the private chambers of Nightmare Moon," Chase said, a dark shadow crossing his face.
"How do you know that the elements are in there?" Twilight asked shivering.
"I've been tracking the magic signature of the elements since they took them," Chase said as he approached the doors, "And their signature radiates strongly from in here."
With their combined effort the doors to the dark chambers opened slowly, creaking with every inch, until the doors stopped and the private realm of the mare in the moon stood before them. Chase once again resisted the urge to run and strode into Nightmare's room.The girls entered the large, night-like room and were shivering from the dark aura that infested it.
"Alright the Elements are here somewhere," Chase said "Look for a locked box with her symbol on it and holler if you find it."
With a nod the girls searched around the room for the Elements of Harmony. They searched every where for them, in closets, under stuff, and even trying hard to reach places. Each of them searched high and low but couldn't find them. Chase was starting to get frustrated until he heard Rainbow Dash shout out.
"Found 'em!"
She floated down with the box and a big grin of victory decorating her face. The others ran to her with excitement as Rainbow Dash touched down.
"It was in a secret panel in the ceiling how clever." She said laughing.
Using his magic, Chase unlocked the box and opened it. The Elements glowed brightly and resonated with the girls. They each put on their respective elements. Chase smiled and turned to the opening, preparing his own magic for the fight that will soon commence.
Nightmare Moon sat in her throne room reveling in the fact that she has locked away the Elements, imprisioned their bearers, and imprisioned her treacherous student in the dungeons. She silently congratulated herself for her win today just as the doors slammed open. She stared in pure shock as Chase and the wretched Elements strode into the throne room with the Elements of Harmony around the six mares necks.
"HOW DID YOU ESCAPE?!" Nightmare Moon screamed in anger.
"Did you forget that I charged the rings that you put on Twilight, rarity and I?" Chase said in a cocky manner.
Nightmare Moon growled in anger at him and fired a bolt of dark energy at Chase, which reflected off a barrier he created. The bolt caused Chase to step back a bit and he cringed when it connected.
"I Will NOT Let My End Happen!" The Mare in the Moon screeched as a wave of her dark magic flew towards the seven ponies.
They didn't have enough time to react and were hit by the wave, flinging all seven of them into the wall with a sickening crack. Each of them got up shakily and were all dizzy. Chase almost collapsed onto the floor but managed to stay standing as Nightmare Moon stode from her throne. With anger Chase fired his own magical bolt that was easily deflected by the dark mare.
"Your nothing compared to me," She growled as she fired another bolt at Chase, who dodged it, "I Gave you the ability to use magic, I gave you the means to go anywhere you wished to go, I Taught You The Ways of Magic."
Chase kept dodging the bolts she fired at him but one managed to strike him square in the chest and sent him crashing into the wall with a bone chilling crunch. Chase screamed in pure agony as he collapsed to the floor, his left wing broken and bending in ways it shouldn't. The girls looked at his form and saw that he wasn't moving. Fluttershy rushed to his side and checked to see if he was ok. Putting a hoof to his neck, she felt a faint heartbeat and she notified the others that he was just unconscious. They all turned to Nightmare moon and glared at her, starting to move towards each other.
"Not this time." She sneered and sent a blast at them.
They jumped out of the way and the floor beneath them rose into walls, seperating them from each other and leaving Fluttershy alone with the unconscious dark blue alicorn. Twilight called out to them but didn't get a response from any of them, which worried her.
"Twilight." Came a haunting and familiar voice from behind Twilight.
She turned around and turned pale at the sight of her brother, Shining Armour. She smiled and started to walk towards him but stopped when she remembered that she wasn't in Equestria anymore. The fake Shining Armour smiled at Twilight and slowly started to walk to her. She attempted to fire a bolt of magic at him but was suddenly forced against the wall by his 'magic', causing her to scream out in pain. She tried her best to dispell his magic but she found that she couldn't and she couldn't find out why. The fake Shining Armour laughed at the helpless purple unicorn.
"You may be the Element of Magic, Twilight Sparkle, but here i am the very essence of magic," Nightmare Moon said through the fake, "I am much stronger than the last you and your friends faced me all those years ago."
Twilight couldn't speak due to fear that had found it's way into her heart amd kept her from thinking logically. She screamed in terror as the fake continued to advance towards her his eyes glowing and his voice saying the same thing, you are nothing.
Applejack could hear Twilights scream as clear as day and she shuddered at the sound. She continued to look for a weakness in the wall when something bumped against her left rear hoof. She looked down and saw an apple on the floor. Curiousity taking over, she picks up the apple and takes a bite from it. She spit the bite out of her mouth.
"A rotten apple, a shame." she said just as another apple bumped her leg followed by another.
Applejack was extremely confused as more and more rotten apples rolled from the darkness and seemed to start to pile up in the walled in area she was in. With a sudden realization, Applejack started panicing and started to slam her hooves into the wall in the hopes of escaping. She kept kicking the wall until the pile of rotten apples were up to her stomach. She kicked at the apples trying to scatter them but she was failing. Soon they were up to her cutie mark and that was when she herself screamed.
Rainbow Dash didn't like it when she heard Twilight and Applejack scream. She was flying around the area she was in, trying to find a way out to no avail. She covered her ears to block out the screams until she heard something else, the flapping of multiple wings and laughing. She turned and almost freaked out when she saw the wonderbolts hovering next to her.
"Omygosh omygosh omygosh, the wonderbolts." She said with a big grin, "I can't believe your here, did Celestia send you as backup."
They said nothing and shook their heads. They descended to the floor and Rainbow Dash followed them confused on why they weren't saying anything. Once she landed on the floor, the wonderbolts surrounded her with evil grins.
"Hey uh why aren't you guys saying anything?" She asked, chuckling nervously.
They continued grinning and advanced towards her with malicious intent. In a flash that she didn't see coming, Rainbow dash found herself pinned to the wall, her ears ringing upon impact. She looked down at them and froze when she saw Applejack pinning her to the wall with the same evil grin. But this didn't look like applejack, for one she was darker than her in color and her eyes seemed to glow when she looked up at Rainbow.
"Let go of me you sad excuse for an Applejack," Rainbow Dash growled, which made the dark Applejack laugh.
"Your loyalty towards your friends, race, and land may be strong," came Nightmare Moon's voice, "But let me ask you this, Element of Loyalty, what if your loyalty is in the wrong place?"
This made Rainbow Dash freeze in place and look down at the dark copy, doubt filling her eyes.
"What if your precious Princess Celestia is the evil one and the kindness she shows is just a mask she wears to hide her true intentions."
"Your lying," Rainbow Dash said and struggled in the grasp of the dark Applejack, "Princess Celestia is a kind pony and would never harm anypony, not even you."
"Am I, Rainbow Dash?" the dark mare said and Rainbow Dash looked doubtful.
"But the Princess.... she......" Rainbow Dash shuddered as the copy let her go and left her slumped on the floor in a veil of mist.
One by one Nightmare Moon terrified the element bearers until only Fluttershy and Chase were left. Fluttershy was standing over Chase, constantly trying to wake him up. She was shaking the unconscious male frantically, whimpering at the sounds of her friends screams.
"Please, please, please wake up Chase," She said, continuing to shake him.
Laughter sounded behind her and she turned her head towards the source. Standing at the edge of the separate area stood Nightmare Moon, grinning maliciously at the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy resisted the urge to run and she stood in front of Chase, protecting him from the dark alicorn queen.
"Oh so the Element of Kindness is protecting a traitor from his punishment," Nightmare Moon laughed at Fluttershy's display of courage, "And here i thought you were a fool."
"I won't let you hurt my friend." Fluttershy said.
"And what are you going to do about it you foolish pegasus," Nightmare Moon sneered, striding towards the two, "I have already taken care of your friends and they are much braver that you are."
Fluttershy stood her ground as Nightmare Moon approached, making sure that she didn't leave Chase's side. Nightmare Moon stopped before the timid pegasus and looked down at her. Her gaze went from Fluttershy to the unconscious form of Chase.
"So you wish to die to protect him?" Nightmare Moon asked and Fluttershy nodded, "So be it."
Her horn glowed and she unleashed the energy, making Fluttershy flinch and prepare for her demise. She waited for the blast but it never came.
"Impossible!" Came Nightmare Moon's shocked voice.
Fluttershy opened her eyes and saw a magical barrier shimmering in front of her, an emerald barrier. She looked back and saw Chase shakily getting up, his horn glowing brighter than she, Nightmare Moon, or even himself has seen it glow. He limped forward and stood by Fluttershy with anger filling his eyes. He turned to the yellow pegasus and smiled.
"Thanks for protecting me Fluttershy," Chase said, his eyes glowing like his horn, "Now let me repay you and the others."
Concentrating and focusing his magic, the walls around them collapsed and the others could be seen cowering in fear. He saw the wraiths that haunted them and with a single word, begone, they dissapated. The mares looked up and saw that they were gone before turning their heads to Chase.
"Nightmare Moon," Chase said, his voice somehow rising in tone, "You have terrorized my world for five years, changed a large number of it's inhabitants into your personal army, and you have kept this world in the dark of the night for far to long. Today your reign of darkness ends here."
"NO!!" Nightmare Moon screeched, "I WILL NOT LET THAT VISION COME TO BE!!"
She unleashed all she had at Chase but he deflected it like a pebble off a window. Nightmare moon and the element bearers all looked in awe.
"H-How," Nightmare Moon asked, her voice quivering in fear, "W-Where did this new found magic come from?"
"I don't know myself." Chase said, looking back at Fluttershy, "But I'm glad it came just in time otherwise I would've lost a friend."
Fluttershy smiled as Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack moved closer to each other, the Elements of Harmony starting to glow. They stood by Chase and his horn glowed like the Elements. All seven of them faced Nightmare Moon, who stepped back in fear at their gaze.
"Goodbye Nightmare Moon," Chase said, sympathy in his eyes, "It's a pleasure knowing you."
With his final words, a ball of light surrounded the seven ponies and a rainbow beam erupted from the ball right at the dark Alicorn. She screamed as the beam hit her.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!" The wraith screamed as she faded into non-existence.
A shock wave of light was sent throughout the entire globe upon the wraiths defeat that undid her magic all around the globe. Every guard, soldier, and Dark Bolt changed back into the humans they once were. The light around Chase and the girls disappeared and Chase stared at the spot the wraith known as Nightmare Moon once stood.
"Chase," He heard Twilight say and he turned to her, "Your..."
Chase looked down and smiled as he saw his hands for the first time in four and a half years.
"Human." Chase finished Twilight's sentence, tears welling up in his eyes as he flexed his fingers and open and closed his hands. "I'm me again."
He looked over his six pony friends just as light shined through the window into the dark throne room. All seven of them turned to the windows and saw the dawn of the first day that his world has seen for the first time in five years and Chase felt happiness at the sight. He stared at the rising sun, tears rolling down his cheek before he heard the girls gasp.
"Chase, your glowing." Pinkie said, shock on her face.
Chase looked at the pink pony before looking at himself and realized that she was right. He noticed a faint but still definable aura around his body. It glowed with the color as the magical aura he once had and used.
"Why are you glowing, dude?" Rainbow dash asked and Chase just shrugged, just as clueless as them.
"I think I may have an idea." Twilight said, causing everyone to turn to her, "I think that Chase somehow managed to gain some unknown and very deep magic from inside his own being during the battle and it's still lingering because it's his own magic, not the magic for when he was an alicorn, but his own hidden magic."
"How?" Applejack asked.
"I think it's when I first felt the Strong presence of the Elements of Harmony and actually came in magical contact with them that I unlocked my own magic." Chase said, still looking at his hands.
Chase looked out the window at the rays of the sun break over the horizon, filling the world with warmth that was long needed. He wondered if his family were asleep or not, if they could see the rising sun from where they were.
"Girls," Chase said, turning to the girls.
Twilight and the girls turned to chase and he gave all six of them a big hug.
"Thank you," He said, tears of joy rolling down his cheek, "For helping me bring back the light."
He felt six hove pat his back and six hugs returned. Chase released the six ponies and looked around the room.
"What should we do about this castle Chase." Twilight asked.
"For now let's just leave it be," Chase said, "It'll be a reminder to the people of what happened to them."
Chase and the six ponies exited the castle into the warm sun and Chase basked in it's rays. His smile grew and he turned to the castle. He thought that even though she was a cruel and harsh being, Nightmare Moon did teach him something important to which he used against her. She may have not been the best teacher but he still was grateful for her teachings.
"I think it's time i went home." Chase said
"Oh is there anyway we can help?" Fluttershy asked and Chase nodded.
"i need a ride there."
"No problem," Rainbow Dash said, "Hop on."
"What about the rest of you?" Chase asked.
"We'll meet you there, don't worry about us silly." Pinkie Pie said cheerfully.
Chase nodded and got onto Rainbow Dash, who immediately launched off the ground so fast that it created a sonic boom but when Chase looked back he saw a rainbow ring spreading out. Chase looked in awe at the sonic rainboom. Rainbow Dash asked where he lived and he gave her directions until his hometown was in view. After three minutes he found his home and was surprised to find the other five there.
"W-Wha," Chase said, as they landed and he got off Rainbow Dash, "How did you get here so fast without me even saying anything?"
"Just call it Mare's Intuition." Rarity said and winked at him.
He shook his head, chuckling before turning to the front door of his home. He felt completely nervous not knowing if his parents were still here but one last time he steeled himself and approached the front door. With a loud knock he waited patiently. He heard something stirring behind the door and after a minute it opened, Mike peeking from behind it.
"C-Chase," he said, his eyes widened in surprise, "I-Is that you?"
Chase nodded and Mike threw the door open before embracing his son in a warm hug.
To be Concluded...........